Guard for hanging electric light bulbs



June 2, 1936.

C. A. SCHEELER GUARD FOR HANGING ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS Filed Dec. 28. 1934 MQW INVENTOR WATTORNEYS Patented June 2, 1936 PATENT omcs GUARD FOR HANGING ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS Charles A.

'Scheeler, Buifalo, N. Y., assignor to Ap at on D cember :28 19 .4, SerialNo. 159.456

This invention relates to ,aguardfor hanging electric'jlight bulbs and more-particularly to such a guard which-is adapted'to be used in connection; with an electric, light bulb ,having a pendant bulbous portion and a graduallycontracting neck *extendingnupwardly from said bulbous portion; the guard; being preferably made -;of 'wire andbeingsupported on the bulb in 'such manner thatuit protects the bulb from injury through an accidental-blow. ,Such guards are especially useful, infactories. 1

Guards of various types have been designed for electric light bulbs but such guards have either ,beenfirmly attached to either the bulb itself or tothe socket which carries the bulb. This ;not only rendered such guards more ex pensiveto=construct and more difficult to apply, as compared with the present invention: but the guard was also rigidly connected to the bulb ,so that a blow striking the guard would; be "transmitted directly to the bulbyand ;in;manyy,cases ,destroy the electricalfilaments. ,The presentvinventionprovi'des a verylsimple and inexpensive guard which is easily applied to pendant bulbs and is loosely supported around the contracting portion of the neck of the bulb with the center of the gravity of the guard as a whole below the support so that when the guard is struck the entire guard tilts and absorbs the shock of the blow and then immediately falls back to its original position.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pendant electric light bulb showing a guard made in accordance with my invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the guard and bulb shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the manner in which the guard tilts when struck.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the guard shown in Figs. 1-3.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified form of my invention.

The guard embodied in my invention is adapted for use in connection with a pendant or hanging electric light bulb which, as shown, comprises a pendant glass bulbous portion l0 and a gradually contracting neck extending upwardly from the bulbous portion and connected to the usual screw plug or base I2 by means of which the electric light bulb is screwed into the usual socket.

The guard shown in Figs. 1-4 comprises a small ring 13 which, before the electric light bulb is inserted in its socket, is slipped over the neck ll of the bulb so as to rest loosely on the contractingneck as best showi'1-in-.l.= ig. -1. EX- tending -radially and horizontally from the small ring I.3.are a.plurality of horizontal arms I4, the outer ends-of which are bent downwardly, as indicated at .andare connected to a large horizontal ring '16. "The armscanbe secured to the rings 13 .and I6 in any suitable manner, as by welding or brazing and the ring 1l6 is substantially larger than the.;bulbous.,portion H! of the electric lightbulb-so that-it formsa guard for the bulb. An essential featureofs the invention is that the center of gravity of the guard, as a whole,-is below-the small ring 13.

The guard y-normally hangs loosely from the neck of theelectric light bulb in the horizontal positionshown in Fig. 1. When the guard is accidentally-struck, ,astby ablow against vthe large ring 16 or one=of the arms,-;the.,guar.d tilts, the opposite side of the :guardrisingandlifting the corresponding side-of the small ring I3 from its seaton the neck H of. the .bulb, as best illustrated -in :=Fig.i:3 Immediatelyaiollowing the blow, of course, the guard falls back to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 and the small ring [3 re-seats on the contracting neck I l of the bulb in the same position which it took originally.

It will be appreciated that the invention is subject to modification in form. For example, an additional ring or rings I! can be used to connect the radiating arms so as to more completely protect the bulb against accidental injury. Such a modification is illustrated in Fig. 5 in which the other features of the guard are substantially similar to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4 and therefore the same reference characters have been employed and distinguished from the preferred form of the invention by the sufiix a.

From the foregoing invention it will be seen that by loosely supporting the guard around the contracting part of the electric light bulb and by so forming the guard that its center of gravity is below its supporting part the guard upon being struck yields and absorbs the shock of the blow instead of transmitting it to the bulb with possible injury to the filaments thereof. Following this the guard immediately resumes its original position. Therefore in a factory having exposed bulbs guarded in accordance with my invention the guards are uniformly horizontal and are never knocked askew, such being common with ordinary guards and rendering the appearance of the factory room unsightly tact therewith and light skeleton guard means carried by said support and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom and unconnected with said bulb, the center of gravity of the guard being j below said supporting means whereby upon being struck, the guard tilts and temporarily lifts one 7 side of said supporting means from its seat-on said neck to which it returns by gravity "rouaw- 4 ing the blow.

2. A guard for an electric light bulb having a pendant bulbous portion and a relatively thin, elongated contracting neck extending upwardly from said bulbous portion, comprising a support embracing an intermediate portion of said neck and loosely resting thereon and having line contact therewith, light arms extending outwardly and downwardly from said support and carrying a light horizontal ring which surrounds said bulbous portion and is spaced a substantial distance therefrom, the center of gravity of the guard being below said supporting means whereby when the ring or arms of the guard are struck, said ring tilts and temporarily lifts one side of said supporting means from its seat on said neck to which it returns by gravity following the blow.

3. A guard for an electric light bulb having a pendant bulbous portion and a relatively thin, elongated contracting neck extending upwardly from said bulbous portion, comprising a support embracing an intermediate portion of said neck and loosely resting thereon and having line conto which it returns by gravity following the blow.

4. A guard for an electric light bulb having a pendant bulbous portion and a relatively thin, elongated contracting neck extending upwardly from said bulbous portion, comprising a wire ring-embracing an intermediate portion of said neck and loosely resting thereon and in such form in cross section as to have line contact with said neck and light guard means carried by said support and :extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom and unconnected with said bulb, the center of gravity of the guard being below said ring whereby upon being struck the guard tilts and temporarily lifts one side of said ring from its seat on said neck to which it returns by gravity following the blow.

5. A guard for an electric light bulb having a pendant bulbous portion and a relatively thin, elongated contracting neck extending upwardly from said bulbous portion, comprising a small wire ring embracing an intermediate portion of said neck and loosely resting thereon and of such form in cross section as to have line contact with said neck, wire arms extending outwardly V and downwardly from said ring and carrying a large horizontal wire ring which surrounds said bulbous portion and is spaced a substantial distance therefrom, the center of gravity of the guard being below said small ring whereby when the large ring or arms of the guard are struck said large ring tilts and temporarily lifts one side of said small ring from its seat on said neck to which it returns bygravity following the blow.

CHARLES A. SCHEELER. 

